County looks to tighten its belt

The Madison County Board approved a 2010 budget Wednesday that includes a 5.9 percent reduction in spending.

County Board Chairman Alan Dunstan submitted the budget at the monthly board meeting.

It calls for spending of $42.8 million, down from last year’s $45.5 million budget.

A preliminary budget, drafted last month, had called for a 6.5 percent reduction in spending, but that was scaled back after the county received $731,000 from the state, which allowed the county to restore 13 positions that were cut from the Probation Department.

“Those layoffs represented a situation where we could not ask the people of Madison County to fund positions that by statute are the responsibility of the state of Illinois,” Dunstan said in a written statement.

Last year county officials warned of leaner times ahead, citing a shortfall in state sales tax revenue and a $2.1 million increase in the amount the county paid to the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund. The latter was necessary to cover a shortfall in the amount the county received for IMRF.

In the past year the county has reduced its workforce by eliminating 95 positions, he said. Many were accomplished by layoffs, retirements, and workers leaving the county for other positions. “Putting someone out of work is not a move we take lightly, but in times like these we are currently experiencing, difficult decisions must be made and difficult action must be taken,” Dunstan said.

Dunstan also cited the closing of the Madison County Sheltered Care Home as a difficult decision that, in retrospect, helped save the county money.

“In addition to annually saving county taxpayers almost $1 million, the former residents were placed in excellent situations where they are receiving the best possible care for their respective conditions,” he said in the statement.